Meet Future STEM Leaders Alex Antonio Hernandez Juarez and Siddarth Nandyala

This year, the National STEM Challenge brought extraordinary young minds together as they presented their accomplishments in STEM. Through innovative ideas and friendly competition, the challenge boasts a celebration of groundbreaking, student-driven solutions to global challenges in the areas of Environmental Stewardship, Future Foods, Health & Medicine, Powering the Planet, Tech for Good and Space Innovation.

Among the remarkable young champions selected for 2024 were Alex Antonio Hernandez Juarez and Siddarth Nandyala, both remarkable student innovators who received sponsorships from the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® to attend the 2024 National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C. These two students recently sat down with the National Inventors Hall of Fame to discuss their journey toward becoming STEM Challenge Champions.

Harnessing Exceptional Passion for STEM

Alex, a high school senior from Utah, has cultivated an interest in STEM subjects through his school’s Robotics Team and Rocketry Club. With strong family support, he has been able to focus on his innovative endeavors. “My role models are mainly my father and mother. They have worked overtime and extra hours so that I could get a laptop, focus on computer science and have time to be creative,” he shared. As for his career goals, Alex is applying to colleges, wanting to study computer science. He aspires to become a software engineer while studying linguistics.

Siddarth, an eighth grader from Texas, is passionate about invention and entrepreneurship. He currently owns a startup that creates innovative STEM kits designed to teach kids about emerging technologies, coding and more. Much like Alex, Siddarth has experienced powerful encouragement from his family. “My mom is a role model to me because she is the one who inspired me and got me into the STEM field. My dad is a role model in my entrepreneurship journey, because he’s always been an inspiring force, motivating me and bringing me toward the best that I can do,” he said. Regarding his future aspirations, he wants to continue developing his innovations to help others. For his contributions to STEM fields and his entrepreneurial endeavors, he has received proclamations from the mayor of Frisco and the governor of Texas, a certificate of recognition from Congress and the House of Representatives, and a letter of congratulations from President Biden.

Innovating for Good: STEM Challenge Submissions

Both Alex and Siddarth have employed a great deal of empathy in their submissions to the STEM Challenge.

Alex’s submission focused on his passion for giving all people access to language and communication. Understanding that a person’s quality of life can be dramatically impacted by their ability (or lack thereof) to communicate with others, he developed a method of translating American Sign Language (ASL) into machine learning using a camera feed and a recurrent neural network. With this technology, as people use their hands to sign, a device translates their motions into spoken and written output. This invention could provide immensely improved accessibility for people who use ASL.

Siddarth’s submission centered around affordable limb replacement, using technology to provide a reliable option to people in need of artificial appendages. He created an affordable prosthetic arm with 3D printing and microcontroller technologies that work intuitively with human controls. Determined to help bridge accessibility gaps, especially in developing nations, he hopes his invention will allow people around the world to reach their full potential by having economical and effective limb substitutes.

Among nearly 300 entries, these two were selected as STEM Champions and given the opportunity to showcase their projects to some of our nation’s most influential leaders at this year’s National STEM Festival, presented by EXPLR.

Offering Advice for Young Innovators

Reflecting on their own innovative stories and lessons, both Alex and Siddarth expressed words of inspiration to young people looking toward a future in STEM. Alex advised, “It’s never too late to start. Opt for something you find interesting and make sure you believe in what you’re doing, and like what you’re doing.” Siddarth added, “Never give up and never hold back. ‘FAIL’ is just ‘first attempt in learning.’ Keep innovating, continue your journey, push the boundaries and just stay passionate.”

Discover STEM Learning for Your Child

To introduce your child to one-of-a-kind STEM experiences, check out hands-on, creativity-sparking National Inventors Hall of Fame education programs here.